


Special Places of Scenic Beauty

by Geoduck



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Kasumi is tired of everyone else having adventures, Misunderstandings, Slow Romance, Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29614935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geoduck/pseuds/Geoduck
Summary: Ryoga, ashen-faced, turned to face Kasumi and bowed. “I deeply apologize but I’m afraid we might have gotten a bit off the path.”“Oh my.” Kasumi didn’t look the least bit perturbed. “It’s a good thing I brought the backpack then, isn’t it?”
Relationships: Hibiki Ryouga/Tendou Kasumi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 28





	1. May 14th (Location unknown)

It was the quiet of the early afternoon. There was still time to travel a fair distance before evening, but he would need to depart soon to accomplish that. If he left much later, the pavements would be filled with commuters going home and children returning from school.

If he really did want to leave today, he’d need to go before she came back--before they came back.

And if he saw her face, he might lose the will to leave.

* * *

It was the quiet of the early afternoon. Lunch had been concluded and cleaned up after, dinner preparation had not yet begun. 

As the laundry had already been brought in, Kasumi took the moment of respite to read.

When Ryoga found her, he spoke. “Ah, pardon me?”

Kasumi looked up from her book. “Ryoga-kun? Goodness, you’re so quiet I almost forgot you were still here. Did you get something to eat earlier?”

He bowed sharply. “Thank you as always for your hospitality. I was just heading out.” Kasumi noticed the backpack at his side.

“Not at all. I know Ranma and Akane enjoy it very much when you visit. Didn’t you want to wait until they get back from school before you leave?”

“No, I’m sure they have their own plans. I really ought to be going.”

“That’s too bad. Are you planning on going anywhere in particular?”

“The plan is to do some training. I need to improve my skills. I’m thinking about going to Hokkaido, since it’s so warm at the moment. Or possibly Kagoshima. There are some nice forests in Gifu. I really haven’t made my mind up.”

“Hmm. Well, never having visited any of those places, I can’t help you with that.”

“You haven’t been?”

“I haven’t really travelled, I’m afraid. When I was your and Ranma’s age, I went to Kyoto and Nara for my school trip and enjoyed that very much. When I was a little girl, I remember going to Hakone, but it was cloudy most of the time, so we couldn’t see Mount Fuji much. My sisters and I usually go to the beach at least once each summer. Near Fujisawa. It’s quite close so the travel isn’t much hassle.”

“That’s a shame. There’s a lot to see in Japan. There are a lot of trips you could take that you’d enjoy.”

“I’m sure it would be nice. But there’s so much work to do here around the house that I can’t ever really get away.”

“Ah.” Ryoga could barely conceive of being so tied down to a single place, when he himself barely spent more than a week in any one place for as long as he could remember.

“We certainly do appreciate the souvenirs you bring us. It’s very polite of you.”

“Oh.” He blushed slightly. “You’re welcome. I’ll be certain to get something nice--from wherever I end up.”

“Send us a postcard if you have a chance. Ranma and Akane will be happy to hear from you.”

“Sure.” Ryoga looked down. “So, I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Wait, just a minute.” Kasumi paused for a moment, then looked straight at Ryoga. “If you aren’t in too big of a rush, would you mind walking with me to the supermarket?”

“I guess not. My schedule is pretty much open.”

“Wonderful. Could you wait right here? I just need to fetch the list and my shopping bags. It will just be a minute or two. Please don’t move.”

“Ah, okay?”

Kasumi quickly padded out of the room. Ryoga didn’t think that Kasumi really needed anyone to walk with her, but given how often he took advantage of the Tendo dojo’s hospitality, accompanying her in this errand was almost the least he could do.

He sighed. Maybe he  _ should  _ wait until Akane got back from school before he left, but if she came back with Ranma, and if she were smiling and laughing…

Ryoga reflected that sometimes it hurt to see her happy. And feeling sad at another person’s happiness was almost the most miserable thing he could think of.

“Ryoga-kun? I’m ready.”

He was shaken out of his reverie by the reappearance of Kasumi. She had traded her dress for a short-sleeved button-up shirt and capri pants. “Oh, okay.” He stood up and slipped his backpack on. “You changed clothes?”

“Yes. It’s rather warm out, and this is more comfortable to walk in.”

He followed her to the genkan, but stopped as she paused to put on a backpack of her own.

“Ah, Kasumi-san? Why do  _ you _ have a backpack?”

“Just a normal precaution. If I were to get lost, it would be nice to have the necessities with me.”

“Oh.” Something about this felt odd. “Do you get lost... often?” He stopped himself before adding ‘as well?’.

Kasumi smiled. “No. But there’s always the chance that I could go astray, and I think that’s certainly worth preparing for, don’t you think?”

Ryoga nodded in bewildered agreement.

“Let’s be off, shall we?”

* * *

Outside the supermarket, Ryoga sat on his backpack, Kasumi’s sitting beside him. He had once again been given instructions to not go anywhere. Over the years people had told him to do that a lot. On recollection, he observed that he was much more likely to strictly obey that instruction if it came from a woman.

“Thank you for waiting, Ryoga-kun! I’ll just get this in my backpack, and we can be on our way again.”

“I  _ can _ carry the shopping bag for you if you like, Kasumi-san.”

“Such a gentleman! It’s good of you to offer, but I think I’d rather simply transfer everything into my backpack.”

“That’s going to be a rather heavy lift--are you sure?”

“I should be able to manage.”

“Please--at least let me carry the rice.”

Kasumi hummed. “Since you offered, it would be impolite of me to say no.” 

It was a large sack: 10 kilos worth. Together, they strapped it to the top of Ryoga’s backpack, just underneath the umbrella.

“Now, are you  _ certain  _ that it won’t be too heavy for you, Ryoga-kun?” Kasumi asked as they set off from the supermarket.

Ryoga smirked slightly. “I don’t want to sound immodest, but I don’t think you could overload me.”

Kasumi smiled. “I suppose not. Akane has told me some of the feats of strength of yours that she’s seen with her own eyes, so I know you aren’t bragging.”

“Oh.” Ryoga blushed at the notion that Akane spoke about him in a complimentary manner. “That’s nice.”

“Have you always been so strong?”

“I suppose. It’s hard for me to tell--being able to do what I do feels natural to me, so it doesn’t feel like I’m especially strong. I do know that I was able to carry my mother when I was young.”

“How old were you?”

“Five, I think.”

“Five? Oh my, your mother must have been so surprised.”

“I don’t think so? She’s quite strong herself. I think the strength might come from her side of the family from stories she’s told.”

Ryoga was so distracted by the conversation that he failed to notice that their positions had reversed.

Kasumi was no longer leading him. It was the other way round.

* * *

“...and when my dad looked at what happened, he just looked at me, and sighed and said ‘time to get a new fence.’” Ryoga chuckled at the reminiscence.

Kasumi smiled, but winced slightly. “Ryoga-kun--could we stop for a moment? I’m getting a little tired.”

“Oh, certainly. Funny that it’s taking so long. We  _ must _ be getting close to the dojo by now, shouldn’t we?”

Ryoga’s smile faded as he noticed they were walking through a moderately hilly deciduous forest. Not a single building in view. “Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Oh  _ no.” _

“Is there a problem, Ryoga-kun?”

“Um.” Ryoga, ashen-faced, turned to face Kasumi and bowed. “I deeply apologize but I’m afraid we might have gotten a bit off the path.”

“Oh my.” Kasumi didn’t look the least bit perturbed. “It’s a good thing I brought the backpack then, isn’t it?”

Ryoga bowed again. “If you’ll permit me, I will take us back the way we came immediately. We should be back in no time at all!”

“Ryoga-kun,” she spoke softly. “While, I appreciate what you want to do, the truth is, we’ve been walking for five hours. If we left right now we wouldn’t be back by nearly midnight, assuming we didn’t get lost.”

“I’ve delayed you that badly?” Ryoga had a pained look on his face. “Oh, no, everybody’s going to be so worried when you’re gone.”

“Ryoga-kun, it’s all right. I left a note saying where I’ve gone. Everyone will be fine.”

“The food you bought in the supermarket! It’s going to spoil!”

“Don’t worry about that. I didn’t buy anything that needs refrigeration. Rice, dried noodles, consomme cubes, dried fish, smoked meat.”

Ryoga looked distraught. “Akane will never forgive me…  _ you’ll _ never forgive me!”

Kasumi put a hand on his shoulder. “Ryoga-kun, please don’t worry about it. It really is all right. I prepared for this possibility. It’s all going to be okay. Everyone at home will be just fine with me not there. They should all be old enough to take care of themselves. I’m certainly not angry at you, you’ve done nothing wrong. All right?”

Ryoga’s shoulders were still slumped. “All right.”

“Good! Anyway, it looks like I’m going to see some of Japan after all. Where are we, by the way?”

Ryoga took a considered glance at the landscape. “Based on the terrain and the local vegetation, I think it might be Aichi prefecture?”

“Oh, lovely! I’ve never been there before.”

“Or it might be Tasmania.”

“Did… did you say Tasmania?”

“Yes?”

“Tasmania, as in the island off Australia?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“But… Australia is several thousand kilometers away. It’s south of the equator.”

Ryoga furrowed his brow. “Isn’t Australia a prefecture in Shikoku?”

“I’m fairly certain Australia is English-speaking.”

“Oh, that explains it. I always thought it was strange that there was an English-speaking prefecture in this country, but you do run across some strange things travelling. Like the Hindi-speaking prefecture in Kyushu. Japan is a lot more culturally diverse that most people think.”

Kasumi smiled worriedly. “Oh my, that  _ is _ surprising.” Someday she’d like to hear--and attempt to decode--all of Ryoga’s adventures. “In any case, I think we should find a place where we can make camp. As I mentioned, I am getting a bit tired. You are certainly the person with more experience than I in finding campsites.”

“Oh, sure. We just need to find a flat bit of land, hopefully a little higher up than the surrounding area, and not too far from water.” Ryoga paused. “Are you  _ certain _ your family is going to be okay?”

“They’ll be fine. As I mentioned, I did leave them a note.”

* * *

Soun Tendo read aloud to his ursine friend Genma.  _ “‘Dear father, I’m out on an errand at the moment. I’m not exactly certain when I’ll be back--it will be between three o’clock this afternoon at the earliest, or by the end of June at latest. Please don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Love, Kasumi.’” _

The panda held up a sign:  _ “That sounds very odd.” _ He turned it around.  _ “Should we send a search party?” _

Soun held out a hand. “The note continues.  _ ‘P.S., Do not under any circumstances try and find me, or I swear I’ll never cook for you or Mr. Saotome ever again.’” _

Soun and Genma imagined a future without Kasumi’s home-cooked meals looming before then. “S-Saotome, I’m inclined to trust in Kasumi’s judgment this once.”

_ “I concur” _ read the panda’s sign. He turned it around.  _ “So, cup noodles tonight?” _

With Kasumi away, Akane was certain to volunteer to cook dinner for everyone. While Soun Tendo dearly treasured his youngest daughter, still… “I don’t really like cup noodles very much, but they easily beat the alternative.”

* * *

From the diary of Ryoga Hibiki:

_ Journal of May 14th - After having spent the night at Tendo dojo, intended to leave around midday. Accompanied Kasumi to the supermarket, but seem to have taken the wrong trail. Not precisely sure of location. _

_ Not the first time that I’ve traveled around with another person, but it is the first time that I’ve traveled around with another person and they  _ weren’t _ angry at me for getting them lost. As I’ve known her to be until now, Kasumi is a very even-tempered, patient, and forgiving person. _

_ Also, she was prepared. I thought it a bid odd that she left the house wearing a backpack, as most people don’t need to do that, but it turns out to have been a very prudent decision. _

_ Made camp before dusk. Her tent is quite small, so I offered to let her use mine, but she insisted I use it.  _

_ It feels a bit strange--I don’t think I’ve ever talked so much with Kasumi before. She reminds me a lot of Akane, but she’s a bit easier to talk to. _

_ I’ll try to get us back tomorrow. I hate to cause Kasumi too much inconvenience. _

* * *

From the diary of Kasumi Tendo:

_ May 14th. I decided to play hooky. _


	2. May 15th (Location Unknown)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The reason I asked you about those places is that I’ve never been to them. And now I have a chance, and I don’t want to let it pass me by. So I don’t want to go home. Not yet."

Sometimes people assumed that Ryoga woke up at sunrise, and for parts of the year that was indeed true. In May, however, the sun rose quite early. Ryoga didn’t care to get up before five without a  _ very  _ good reason, so he tended to rise when the natural sunlight woke him up and not a minute before.

There was no rain, and that was always a good thing to wake up to. He got out of his sleeping bag, then unzipped his tent flap and stepped outside. He yawned and stretched.

“Good morning, Ryoga-kun! Did you sleep well?”

He almost fell on his rear in surprise. Oh yes, that’s right, Kasumi was here. “G-good morning.”

“I’ve just put the kettle on the fire, so we should have some tea soon.”

“That sounds great. Haha, I’m so used to being alone when I’m travelling that I almost forgot you were here.”

“I was just about to put on a pot of rice as well. There is some fish leftover from last night, but it would be good to have something fresh. Do you know if there are any berries ripe this early in the year?”

Ryoga pondered this. “It’s a bit too early for wild raspberries. There might be some wild strawberries around, but they aren’t particularly sweet. Could be some mushrooms, but I don’t know if I’m confident enough to recognize the edible kind.”

“Well, never mind, this should be good for now. Perhaps we can forage a bit later today. It will be around twenty minutes for the rice.”

“Super.” Ryoga scratched his side and looked down. “I usually don’t have much for breakf…” He stopped suddenly as he realized what he was wearing: he was standing in front of Kasumi wearing only a pair of boxers. He immediately flushed and dove back into the tent.

* * *

Ryoga’s face was still red as he ate breakfast. He finished his bowl of rice and got ready to speak.

“More rice, Ryoga-kun?”

Thrown off his stride, he could only nod and hand his bowl to Kasumi, who quickly refilled it. “I’m glad I made as much as I did. I know a young man like you needs a lot of food.” She handed it back to him.

“Thank you.” He started eating again, but remembered that he wanted to say something. He set the bowl down again.

“I am a bit sorry that there are no eggs, but they don’t travel well, do they?”

Once more thrown off his stride, he could only shake his head in agreement. “Ah… no, they don’t.”

Third time was nearly not the charm, as Kasumi started talking again. “Do you think…”

“Kasumi-san!” He interrupted her slightly louder than he had intended to. She stopped in surprise. “I’m sorry! It happened because I was inattentive, so I will make certain it won’t happen again!”

Kasumi frowned slightly. “Ryoga-kun, I told you before that I’m not at all angry about getting lost and that I don’t consider you to be at fault of anything. Actually, I’m having a lovely time, so there’s nothing to apologize for.”

“It’s not about that. Earlier… I didn’t mean for you to see me..” he blushed harder, “while not properly dressed.”

“I don’t think I understand. I don’t think I saw you…” she trailed off. “Wait, is this about just now? When you just got out of your tent?”

Unable to meet her eyes, Ryoga nodded.

“In that case, again, I don’t need an apology. Quite often in the summertime, my father wears shorts instead of pajamas. It’s not offensive to me at all--it’s quite natural. I didn’t give it a second thought.”

Ryoga was still avoiding her eyes.

Kasumi almost gasped. “You were embarrassed about it. Then…” She bowed her head. “I’m the one who should apologize to you. I made you feel self-conscious. I’m sorry.”

Ryoga looked up and waved his hands in denial. “No, no, it wasn’t your fault! I shouldn’t have been so shameless!”

“I was treating you like you were Ranma, but I should have realized you were different, even if he  _ is _ your best friend. And Ranma isn’t particularly modest at all. If anything, he’s a bit too informal.”

“What do you mean?” He remembered something else she said. “Ranma’s my  _ what?!” _

“I’m not bothered by how Ranma dresses most of the time, but I wish he’d wear a shirt more often at home. Otherwise, he’s just a splash of cold water away from revealing far too much. But setting that aside, I’m sorry for causing you embarrassment. If it happens again during our travels, I’ll look away immediately. Is that alright with you?”

“Guess so.” His blush had diminished to a medium pink. He made a mental note to have stern words with Ranma on this subject of his exhibitionism.

* * *

Fetching water from the stream took an hour or two longer than he expected it would, but given that he ran that errand unsupervised, it was not surprising. 

Kasumi was sitting on a log Ryoga had rolled next to the campfire, reading and taking notes in a book. Given that she greeted him with a smile on his return to camp, he assumed she must not have been surprised or irritated. She knew him well enough to make allowances for his meanderings.

He used the last of the hot water in the kettle to fill his vacuum flask, then refilled the kettle with water from the stream before turning to Kasumi. “Sorry for taking so long. If you want to leave right away, we can probably get back in the afternoon. If you are willing to arrive in the evening, we have a few hours leeway. Either way, it’s probably a good idea to start getting ready. Would you like me to take down your tent now?”

“No. I think I’d like to leave it up for awhile.”

“What for?”

“To sleep in.”

“Oh. You want to take a nap before we leave?”

“No, to spend the night. I’m not going home today.”

Ryoga’s mouth hung open slightly.

“I made up my mind while you were getting the water. I’m sorry if that interrupts your plans, but I’m still a bit sore from the long hike yesterday, and I really am having a lovely time, so I won’t be going back quite yet. It’s selfish of me, but I won’t be talked out of it.”

“Is that okay? Won’t everyone be missing you?”

Kasumi smiled. “They’ll be fine without me. Two grown men and three high schoolers should be able to run a household on their own. They’ll need to eventually, so this can be good practice for them.”

Ryoga grasped for an alternate solution. “If it’s too painful for you to walk, then I could carry you?”

“Goodness, no. That would feel embarrassing. No, when I leave this camp, I will do it on my own two feet.” She paused. “But just because  _ I’m _ staying doesn’t mean that  _ you _ have to. If there’s somewhere you want to be, it’s fine if you’d like to leave. I should be just fine on my own.”

Ryoga shook his head. “No, I refuse to leave you behind. I mean to be by your side until I return you back home.”

Kasumi’s smile grew. “Oh good, I was hoping you wouldn’t leave. I look forward to seeing a lot with you in the days ahead.”

Ryoga was so flustered that he didn’t even notice her use of the plural.

* * *

Soun and Genma crouched in the shrubbery.

“I’ve done a lot of things that I’m ashamed of over the years,” Soun grumbled, “but this feels like a low point. Hiding from Akane?”

“Don’t think of it as hiding from her. Think of it as hiding from a three-day bellyache.”

Soun gave his old friend a sharp look. “Keep in mind that  _ is  _ my  _ daughter  _ we’re talking about,” he said in an icy tone.

“Keep in mind that hiding was  _ your _ idea. Anyway, this isn’t something we can do indefinitely. Sooner or later you’ll need to face the music.”

“Surely, you mean ‘we’, Saotome.”

“Alas, Tendo, I was just about to depart on a training trip into the wilderness.”

“I think you should consider the difficulty of doing so with two broken legs, Saotome.”

* * *

Despite the amount of time he spent outdoors, mushroom hunting was not a talent of Ryoga’s. Kasumi seemed to be very enthusiastic about it, and with the help of a reference book, they soon found a number of aikawatake and a couple of amigasatake.

“Do you like mushrooms?”

“Yes, I’m very partial to them. It’s exciting to find these in the wild. At a grocer’s these would be quite pricey. We’ll be having a gourmet meal tonight!”

“The mushroom book--is that what you were reading earlier?”

“No--that was a different one. I actually have some questions about the other book that you might be able to help me with. Maybe after dinner.”

* * *

Ranma answered the phone. “Tendo dojo.”

_ “Pardon me? Who am I speaking with?” _

“Ranma here.”

_ “Ranma? My  _ **_son_ ** _ Ranma?” _

In a panic, Ranma poured the beverage he was holding over his head to trigger the curse. “Sorry, I had something in my throat. Like I was saying, this is Ranko. Is that you, Auntie Saotome?”

_ “Goodness, your voice was different earlier. I hope you’re not coming down with a cold, Ranko.” _

“Haha, no, I’m healthy. What can I do for you, Auntie?”

_ “Akane had mentioned to me earlier that Kasumi was away from home for awhile. Has she returned yet?” _

“No, not yet. We haven’t heard anything at all from her since yesterday morning.”

_ “Oh dear, that must be distressing. I think I might look in tomorrow and help around the house a bit.” _

“Oh, good!”  _ ‘Oh, no.’ _

While he loved his mother, keeping up the masquerade in her presence could be exhausting.

* * *

Ryoga decided that he needed to learn more about mushroom hunting if they could taste like  _ that. _ And probably more about cooking as well.

“Did you like that?”

“Yes, it was delicious. Maybe the best dinner I’ve ever had when I was camping.”

“It wasn’t anything special. Just home-style cooking with fresh ingredients.”

“I thought it was fantastic.”

“Thank you.” Kasumi bowed slightly and smiled. “So, I wanted to talk to you about plans for tomorrow.”

“Yes, me too. Do you want to return home early in the morning?”

Kasumi was silent for a long time before speaking “No. I don’t want to do that. Before I go home, there are some things I’d like to do first.”

“What things?”

Kasumi picked up a book at her side and held the cover towards Ryoga. He read the title aloud.  _ “Cultural Properties of Japan,” _ He frowned. “What’s that about?”

“This,” she opened the book, “is a guide to the historic sites, natural wonders, and beauty spots of Japan. I’m wondering if you’ve been to some of them.”

“Maybe. I’ve been to a lot of places.”

“For instance, have you been to Itsukushima?”

“I don’t know? I don’t always know the names of the places I go.”

Kasumi opened up the book, found a page she was looking for, and showed it to Ryoga. “Have you been to a place that looked like this?”

Pictured on the page was a famous view: that of a torii on the water, in front of an island shrine. “Oh, that place. Yeah, I’ve been there a few times. But I’m pretty sure it’s in Germany, not Japan.”

“Germany? Why?”

“There were a lot of people speaking a different language there--at least I think it was German.”

Kasumi sighed. “I think what you saw, Ryoga-kun, was a group of European tourists.”

Ryoga nodded. “Now that you mention it, that does make a lot of sense.”

“Anyway, that’s Itsukushima in Hiroshima prefecture. How about this one?” She turned a page and showed another picture.

“Yeah, I’ve been there, too. It’s…” he paused. “I think you’re about to tell me that it  _ isn’t _ Hawaii.”

“That’s correct. It is not.” Kasumi smiled. “That is Amanohashidate, in Kyoto prefecture. And this one?” She turned the page again.

“Yes, I was just there about a week ago. And it probably isn’t in Canada?”

“Yes. That is Matsushima in Miyagi prefecture. Those three places are considered the three great views of Japan.”

Ryoga nodded. “I can believe it. They’re all really beautiful. And it’s quite exciting to find out that they’re all Japanese as well. Funny, though… I would have thought they’d have included that one mountain on the list.”

“Mount Fuji?”

“No, this one is a lot steeper, and the top is sort of tilted… wait a second, I think I’ve got a picture of it.” Ryoga stuck his head into his tent for a minute until bringing out a postcard. “This is the mountain I meant. Beautiful.”

Kasumi examined the card, then handed it back to him. “Ryoga-kun? This is a picture of the Matterhorn. That’s in Switzerland.”

“Isn’t Switzerland in the Tohoku region?”

“No.”

“I could have sworn…”

“In any case,” Kasumi pressed on, as Ryoga’s geography lessons were making her feel slightly dizzy, “the reason I asked you about those places is that I’ve never been to them. I’ve been to hardly any of the places in this book. And now I have a chance, and I don’t want to let it pass me by. So I don’t want to go home. Not yet. Ryoga-kun, it’s a selfish request, but would you take me to some of the places in this book?”

Ryoga looked into the fire. “You’ve been so nice to me ever since I met you. I don’t think I  _ can _ say no to anything you ask. The problem is… it’s hard for me to talk about, but you know that I am not the best at finding places quickly. I don’t know if I can find these particular views. It’s hard for me to find any place on request.”

“That’s fine. It doesn’t need to be exactly these three. There are dozens of sites all over Japan. When we come across them, I’ll figure out what they are. Even just going to two or three of them would be a dream come true.”

“The other thing is, I don’t want your family to be worried about you. I don’t want them to hate me for getting you lost.”

“I’ll give them a call the next time we see a phone. I’ll explain to them what we’re doing. I’ll tell them it’s all my idea, which is true. I’ll explain to them that getting lost is what I want. I promise.”

“If that’s what you want…” He turned to face her again and smiled. “Then let’s go! We’ll head out tomorrow morning and find… what was that third one again?”

“Matsushima?”

“We’ll go to Matsushima.”

Kasumi didn’t say anything for a moment. Ryoga thought she might have been having second thoughts. Then she bowed to him several times and grasped his hand. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I put myself in your care.” He saw tears in the corner of her eyes.

“I’ll… I’ll do my best.” Ryoga put his hand behind his head and chuckled awkwardly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Generally I try to avoid gratuitous use of Japanese, but this chapter does have two examples: the names of the mushrooms. "Aikawatake" is the Japanese name for the fungus called "chicken of the woods" in English, and "amigasatake" is the Japanese name for morel mushrooms. My only excuse is that "chicken of the woods" is such a weird name that it might throw the reader out of the story. And if I was going to use one Japanese name, I might as well use two.


	3. May 16th (Shitara, Aichi Prefecture)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The streak of sunny weather has broken: it's raining. And Kasumi wonders why Ryoga is reluctant to come out of his tent.

Kasumi awoke to the sound of drops on her tent roof.

She had thought that they might have been able to set off that very day to discover the great views of Japan, but if it was going to be rainy, perhaps it would be best to wait for tomorrow to continue their adventure.

Of course, there was no guarantee that today would be only  _ one  _ rainy day. On the other hand, perhaps it won’t be all  _ that _ rainy today.

That’s what she forgot to bring: a portable radio. They could get weather reports and even a vague idea of where they were, based on what local stations they could reach.

She made a mental note to buy a radio at the first chance.

She popped her head out of the tent.

It didn’t seem like it was particularly rainy at all at first, until a large drop fell square onto the top of her head. Ah, it’s because they were camping under trees. A moderate drizzle falls onto trees, the moisture gathers at the ends of branches and falls down in much larger drops.

So was it the kind of weather that it was all right to travel in? Apart from a water-resistant jacket and a collapsible umbrella, she didn’t have much in the way of rain gear. Her packing had perhaps not been so thorough as it should have been. Okay, besides the radio, buy some rain gear. Cold weather gear might also be wise--while it would be summer soon, it was still cold in the mountains, and it’s possible that they could find themselves in higher elevations on their wanderings. She didn’t even have a pair of gloves with her.

As to whether it was okay to travel in the rain--she’d need to leave that to the wandering expert.

* * *

The wandering expert was  _ terrified. _

Camping with Kasumi had been different--fun, even. Having company when you’re used to being alone in the wilderness was a novel experience.

And the optimistic spirit in his character (yes, he did have one) told him not to worry about his curse. It hadn’t rained so far, so that means it wouldn’t rain at all, ever, for the rest of the trip.

The optimistic spirit was under the Svengali-like influence of the self-deluding spirit, it would seem.

But the truth could not be denied. There was rain today. One false move and he’d become P-chan.

If he were alone, no issue at all. If he were around strangers, a bit embarrassing, but again, all right.

Around people he knew? Potentially humiliating and life-destroying.

Around Akane’s older sister? The phrase, ‘the end of the world’ did not seem like much of an exaggeration.

Breaking camp today was out of the question. He would need to think of some excuse to keep them in camp for at least one more day.

Because certainly there would be no rain tomorrow--or for the rest of the time he and Kasumi travelled together. Ryoga growled at himself. That spirit of self-delusion was nothing if not tenacious.

Stay in camp, and devote today to creating strategies to make certain Kasumi never finds out.

Because working on false alibis in advance was definitely in no way a massively dishonest and manipulative way to manage human relations.

Maybe he should be honest and upfront about it. Maybe he should confess everything and try to make amends. She might be okay with that, right? Confessing wouldn’t necessarily lead to him becoming a pariah and becoming unwelcome in the rest of human society. Right?

No, the risk was too great. For now, dishonesty was the best policy.

“Ryoga-kun? Are you awake?”

Her voice brought him out of his own head. “Kasumi-san?” It seemed rude, somehow, to speak without opening the tent, but opening the tent led to the risk of getting splashed.

“You probably already know that it’s raining, so I was thinking it would be a good idea not to move our campsite today.”

The best possible thing for her to say! “Uh, yeah. I agree with you. Best to just stay put and hope for better weather tomorrow.”

“Hmm. The thing is, I wouldn’t mind exploring around the local area a bit. If we found a town, there are a few things I’d like to pick up. Also I might write a quick letter or call home if there’s a phone booth. I think if we used our umbrellas, we wouldn’t get too wet.”

There was a profound difference of opinion between Jusenkyo-cursed people and uncursed people as to what constituted “too wet.” What’s “not too wet” for most people was “disastrously too wet” for the Jusenkyo-cursed. He  _ might _ be able to stay uncursed for a lengthy walk in the rain, but the slightest mistake would result in catastrophe. “Ah. That sounds... fine. But I’m not certain it’s the best idea.”

“Why not?”

“Well--there’s the chance we could get lost on our way back. If we didn’t have our equipment, we’d be in big trouble.”

Ryoga heard the smile in Kasumi’s voice. “I thought about that, and I’ve come up with a solution. As we walk out, we’ll post markers, which we can use to find our way back. I thought, since you have so many of those bandannas, we could tie those to trees, and get back without any problem.”

“Oh, that’s… a really good idea. But…”  _ Quick, think of a reason we can’t go! _

“Are you feeling alright Ryoga-kun? You aren’t ill, are you?”

The perfect excuse had been served up to him on a platter. “My head does hurt a bit.” Ryoga smacked himself on the side of the head to cause pain, so that  _ technically  _ he was telling the truth.

He wasn’t expecting the tent flap to unzip and for Kasumi to crawl inside. “Let me feel your forehead.” She took his temperature manually. “Possibly a small fever. It’s difficult to tell without a proper thermometer.”

Ryoga’s face was flushed. The second morning in a row where his first encounter with Kasumi happened when he was in his underwear. True, he was also still in his sleeping bag this time, so she couldn’t tell, but it was still embarrassing.

“I think I might have to rely on your judgement, Ryoga-kun. Do you think you need to see a doctor?”

“What? Oh no, of course not! I’ll just get some rest and I’m certain I’ll be better tomorrow!”  _ Provided it isn’t raining tomorrow. The illness might just linger a bit in that case. _

“Do you think you’ll be alright by yourself? I’d hate to think I left you behind if you were poorly.”

“No--it’s nothing worth getting excited about. Wait, what do you mean ‘by yourself’?”

“I want to make a quick trip to see if I find a town nearby.”

“No, I can’t let you go by yourself.”

“But if you’re sick, you shouldn’t come with me.”

“Then, why go at all?”

Kasumi looked slightly embarrassed. “I got to thinking about what we talked about last night. I do feel a bit guilty about not having spoken to my family yet, and I’d like to fix that as soon as possible. Today, hopefully.”

“Maybe it’s not such a big deal and they can wait a bit more…”

“No. I’m going to try and find a town. You stay here and rest.”

“Just--I am worried about you getting lost.”

“Well, if you’re feeling well enough to get out of the tent every now and then, you can keep the campfire fed, so I can see the smoke rising off it. That will help keep me from going astray.”

He could tell she was determined. Her smile was soft, but there was iron beneath it. “I don’t like it. If you don’t find a road after walking for half an hour--you’ve got to come back, okay?”

“I will, I promise. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

* * *

It  _ would  _ have been fine if she had returned within an hour of leaving, but she hadn’t. Not yet.  _ Please let it mean that she actually did find a road.  _

He came to the epiphany that there was something that scared him even more than telling Akane he was cursed: telling Akane he had lost her sister.

So instead of worrying, he sat by the fire, under his umbrella, coming up with idiotic excuses.

“Sorry, Kasumi-san, walking in the rain violates the tenets of my religion.”  _ Awful. _

“I’ve got a deep-seated phobia of rain. I’ll fall apart.”  _ Appalling. _

“Rare disease. If rain falls on me, my skin turns dark black. Also I get a snout, and my body gets much smaller.”  _ Moron. That’s basically confessing anyway! _

“Didn’t I tell you that I’m a fortune teller? Anyway, the readings I did indicate that we should definitely stay inside today.”  _ Terrible. Also, the best idea so far. Worth giving a try. _

He sat and watched the fire, trying to keep calm.  _ She’ll be fine. She’s an adult. She can take care of herself. _

There were other voices in his head that were  _ not _ his.  _ “You  _ **_lost_ ** _ Kasumi? How could you do that? I hate you! Never come back here again!” _

_ “Call yourself a martial artist? Forget it piggy, you’re no rival. You’re  _ **_nothing_ ** _ to me anymore.” _

_ “We’re ashamed of you, son.” _

Ryoga re-weighed the pros and cons and risks.

The risk of her getting lost was much more catastrophic than the small chance he’d be exposed. He had to find her.

Just as soon as he filled his vacuum flask with hot water.

* * *

Nodoka had let herself in to the entrance. “Hello? Is anyone at home?”

She heard what sounded like a loud splash of water. ‘Goodness, that must be a large koi to make that much noise jumping.’

“Is that... Nodoka-san?” Soun’s face peeped from around a corner.

“Good to see you, Soun-kun.” She looked at the sodden creature behind her husband’s friend. “Oh, and good to see you too, Panda-san.”

Genma held up a sign. “Hello, someone else’s wife-san”.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, did Ranko-chan not pass the message on?”

“No… I’m sorry, he…” Genma whacked Soun with the sign.  _ “...she _ must have forgotten.”

“Never mind then. I talked to her and to Akane recently--they told me that Kasumi is away for an indefinite period?”

Soun nodded. “I’m afraid so. She also said not to follow her, which makes me a bit concerned.”

“I wouldn’t think there’s anything to worry about. Kasumi has good instincts. She’d do well in any situation. Actually, I’m more concerned about what’s going on in  _ this  _ house. How are you eating?”

“Haha--I have to admit that we’ve been eating instant ramen quite a bit. And Ranm--” WHACK. “Ran _ ko _ has been avoiding the house quite a bit for some reason.”

“With just instant noodles to eat, I can hardly blame her. Well, no need to worry. In Kasumi’s absence, I can help you with meals. "

The panda held up a new sign  _ "Thank god for that!" _

Soun broke down crying. "That's wonderful news! I'd be beyond happy to enjoy your cooking!"

Nodoka shook a hand. "I apologize. I think you misunderstand my intentions. I'm going to help  _ you _ learn to cook."

“Me? Cook?”

“It’s an important life skill. Besides, someday, Kasumi will find a husband and move out, and what will you do then?”

That was a possibility Soun hated thinking about. "Oh. So, cooking lessons. I’m thrilled to learn?" he said in a very un-thrilled voice.

_ "Pandas can't cook: it's a health code violation." _

“Of course! I wasn’t expecting  _ you  _ to cook, Panda-san.” She handed him a broom "Pandas  _ can _ clean, though."

* * *

The bus driver was more than happy to let her off at the place where her path from the campsite intersected with the road. Kasumi kept a close eye, so she could identify the place exactly--she had tied three bandanas to the branch to make it more easily visible.

As it turns out, the place was even easier to find than expected, as Ryoga Hibiki himself, umbrella opened, was standing next to that tree, waiting.

“Just next to that boy, please, ma’am.”

“Will do. Nice of your boyfriend to wait out in the rain.” The driver brought the vehicle to a stop.

“I’m afraid that isn’t the case, he…”

The driver opened the door. “No? Well, keep at it, tiger, you’ll get him!”

“No, you’re misunderstanding, what I  _ meant  _ was…” Kasumi was cut off as the door closed and the bus pulled away again.

Kasumi sighed. It was annoying when people got the wrong idea. Though, it was a stranger, so no real harm if she mistook the situation.

“Welcome back. Can I carry the bags?”

“Yes, please. They’re not heavy but they are a bit bulky.” She handed two shopping bags to Ryoga, while holding a third, somewhat smaller one.

“So. The marking system worked.”

“Yes! I’m very pleased that you were able to meet me. I’m quite impressed. I hope you weren’t waiting for too long.”

“No, not really.” Six hours had never passed so slowly before. “So, you found a town?”

“Yes! Shitara. Aichi prefecture. You were right about it before.”

“I was?” Ryoga chuckled nervously. “Don’t count on it happening every time.”

“You certainly did find us a beautiful place. Did you know we’re very close to a national park.”

“Kasumi?” 

“Yes?”

“I don’t think we should get separated again like we did today. I know that you’re responsible for yourself, but I…”  _ I feel responsible for you, too. I was worried. You’ve got a whole family depending on me keeping you safe. _

“I got something for you in town. I noticed that you didn’t have much rain gear, either, so I bought you a water resistant jacket and rain pants. So with those and your umbrella, you should be able to stay dry even on a day like today.”

“Really?”

“Yes! You can try them on once we get back to camp. Hopefully I got your sizes correct.”

“That would make life easier.” ‘It would make hiding the curse easier.’ was what he left unsaid. “Thank you. If you tell me how much it cost, then I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t be silly. I bought it for you.”

It had been a long time since anyone had bought him a gift. “Thank you very much.”

“It’s the least I can do for you taking me on the trip of a lifetime.” She looked around and gave him a softer smile than earlier.

_ She’s really something. She’s going to make some lucky person really happy. _

“Oh, I was going to ask. Did you have a chance to call your family?”

“Yes! I had a nice conversation with Akane, so nobody there should be worried anymore.”

* * *

“Tendo dojo, Akane speaking.”

_ “Akane-chan! It’s so good to hear your voice.” _

“Kasumi! Where are you? Are you all right? When are you coming home? I miss you a lot!”

_ “You don’t need to worry, I’m just fine. I don’t want to tell you exactly where we are because I’m afraid that father will get some silly notion about rescuing me. I’ll say it’s Aichi prefecture. I’ve sent a postcard with the name of the town, because we’ll be gone by the time you receive it.” _

“‘We’? Are you with somebody?”

_ “Yes, Ryoga-kun.” _

“Ryoga’s with you?”

_ “Yes. And I think that also answers the question on when I’m coming home.” _

Akane chuckled. “Honestly. But it’s a huge relief to know that you’re with Ryoga. He’s very reliable. I won’t have to worry about you if he’s around.”

_ “Yes, he’s quite capable. He is proving to be an excellent travel companion. But enough about us, how’s everything going on at home?” _

“Everything’s fine! We’ve got the chores all sorted out. Ranma’s handling the laundry, Mr. Saotome and I are doing house cleaning, and  _ dad _ is doing the cooking. At least, that’s the plan as of right now.”

_ “Goodness. And what is Nabiki’s job?” _

“Nabiki is doing…” Akane trailed off. “Wait, how did Nabiki manage to sneak out of doing anything?”

_ “She has a talent. I hope you can get everything worked out. It would be nice to know the house can be taken care of in my absence.” _

“Yeah.”

_ “Oh, that reminds me, I should apologize--I borrowed your camping equipment without asking. Hopefully you won’t need it for the next while.” _

“That’s all right, I don’t  _ think  _ I’ll need it, I don’t have any camping plans at the moment. I wouldn’t have known it was gone if you hadn’t said anything.” Akane paused for a moment. “Wait, you have my camping equipment?”

_ “Yes. Tent, sleeping bag, some cooking equipment, survival gear…” _

“Hold on. That doesn’t add up. Why would you have my camping equipment with you if you  _ just happened _ to get lost?” Akane audibly gasped. “You  _ didn’t _ just happen to get lost. This wasn’t an accident, was it? You  _ planned _ it! You planned to get lost with Ryoga! Oh my god, Sis!”

Akane could hear the smile in Kasumi’s voice. _ “Sorry, there was a bit of static and I couldn’t hear that last bit.” _

“Boy, you are really something.” Akane smiled. “All right, I get the picture, I’ll mind my own business. For  _ now. _ You both are going to be telling me quite a story when you get back, and believe me I will be wanting the whole story. With pictures!”

_ “I’ll plan on it. I’m sorry that I was so sudden in leaving.” _

“No, now that I’m reading between the lines, I think I understand you completely. I just hope that you’ll be happy. I’m sure you will--you both will. I can’t wait for you to get back. And in the meantime, write!”

_ “I’ll send postcards at every opportunity. I love you, Akane.” _

“Love you too, sis. And, congratulations!”

Akane couldn’t hide her smile as she walked out to the garden, where Ranma was practicing. He paused as he saw her approach.

She looked around to see if anyone else was there.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Kasumi just called.”

Ranma grinned. “That’s great news! Is she coming back soon?”

“I doubt it, but…” She lowered her voice to an almost-whisper. “That’s not the important thing right now. I’ve got big news, but you  _ have _ to keep it to yourself. You can’t tell anyone, okay? Not your dad, not my dad, and especially not Nabiki.”

“Okay, Okay, I promise. What is it?”

“I’m not completely certain--but I think that Kasumi  _ eloped... _ with Ryoga!”

* * *

The weather report on the radio promised clear skies tomorrow, so they would be off to their next destination, wherever that might be.

As she was about to fall asleep, a stray thought popped into Kasumi’s head.

_ “Why did Akane say ‘congratulations’?” _


End file.
